The Knights Templar Eye Foundation, which is committed to supporting research for
the prevention of potentially blinding diseases in infants in children, has awarded
HEI Ophthalmology Assistant Professor, Lauren C. Ditta, MD, $60,000 for her project,
"Differential Effects of Parenteral Versus Enteral Nutritional Supplementation on
Visual Pathway Development in a Preterm Pig Model."

The project, which is a collaboration between the University of Tennessee Health Science
Center, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, and the University of Memphis aims to learn
more about visual system development in preterm infants. Premature birth is a major
cause of disorders and illnesses in children, especially neurological impairment.
Normal brain growth requires the development of a fatty layer called myelin, which
accumulates around nerve cells and enables them to transmit information faster, allowing
for more complex brain processes. Preterm infants are at risk for insufficient myelination
pattern development, which may cause vision loss. By examining how nutritional delivery
affects growth and maturation of the brain in a preterm pig model, Dr. Ditta hopes
to gain valuable insight on how to best support preterm infants.

Dr. Ditta expressed gratitude toward Dianna Johnson, PhD, who was instrumental in
helping her prepare the grant proposal, and to the Knights Templar for awarding her
the grant. "I have been given a great opportunity by the Knights Templar to conduct
this research," Dr. Ditta said. "I am both honored and humbled to receive this grant
support. I also appreciate the ongoing commitment of the Hamilton Eye Institute to
academic research for vision preservation and restoration. I am looking forward to
the year ahead, and working with my collaborators on this translational research project."